- Sat Jun 03, 2017 8:50 pm
#145895
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This thread will review upgrades to the Avigo (Aria Child) BMW i8 6V electric powered car. Note that a 12V version does exist, but I am not familiar with it.
PHASE 1 - BATTERY RUN TIME UPGRADE
The first thing I noticed was insufficient "run-time". After about 20 minutes of use, the i8 sounded different and was visually slower. Sure enough, checking the LED "power meter" showed only the red LED illuminated. There are 2 main factors which affect this run-time, that being load on the motor and battery capacity (amp hour rating). I cannot easily change the load on the motor, as this is determined by weight of the operator and resistance (both slope and rolling resistance). I can however change the battery to a higher Ah rating!
The battery tray appears to be designed for several different sizes. After taking some measurements I went with the 6VDC 12Ah sealed lead-acid battery by Keyko Japan.
Supplies
1. Wire stripper & terminal crimp tool
2. 2x 1/4" female spade connectors (for 12 gauge wire)
3. 6VDC 12Ah replacement battery by Keyko
4. Phillips screwdriver
5. Rubber bumpers
6. Electrical tape (optional)
Procedure:
1. Remove original battery, 2x phillips screws and black battery cap
2. Cut off red (positive) and black (negative) terminals as close as possible to their ends
3. Strip 1/4" of insulation off each wire and crimp on 1/4" female spade connectors
4. Add rubber bumpers as needed to reduce battery vibration (vibration can shorten battery life). I did the underside of the hold down bar and one end of the battery
5. Install, cover terminals with electrical tape, charge and enjoy over 50% more runtime!
PHASE 2 will be upgrading from 1WD (the factory installed motor drives only the right rear wheel) to 2WD.
PHASE 1 - BATTERY RUN TIME UPGRADE
The first thing I noticed was insufficient "run-time". After about 20 minutes of use, the i8 sounded different and was visually slower. Sure enough, checking the LED "power meter" showed only the red LED illuminated. There are 2 main factors which affect this run-time, that being load on the motor and battery capacity (amp hour rating). I cannot easily change the load on the motor, as this is determined by weight of the operator and resistance (both slope and rolling resistance). I can however change the battery to a higher Ah rating!
The battery tray appears to be designed for several different sizes. After taking some measurements I went with the 6VDC 12Ah sealed lead-acid battery by Keyko Japan.
Supplies
1. Wire stripper & terminal crimp tool
2. 2x 1/4" female spade connectors (for 12 gauge wire)
3. 6VDC 12Ah replacement battery by Keyko
4. Phillips screwdriver
5. Rubber bumpers
6. Electrical tape (optional)
Procedure:
1. Remove original battery, 2x phillips screws and black battery cap
2. Cut off red (positive) and black (negative) terminals as close as possible to their ends
3. Strip 1/4" of insulation off each wire and crimp on 1/4" female spade connectors
4. Add rubber bumpers as needed to reduce battery vibration (vibration can shorten battery life). I did the underside of the hold down bar and one end of the battery
5. Install, cover terminals with electrical tape, charge and enjoy over 50% more runtime!
PHASE 2 will be upgrading from 1WD (the factory installed motor drives only the right rear wheel) to 2WD.
Attachments
Last edited by BMWi8 on Wed Feb 07, 2018 5:35 am, edited 2 times in total.